Black Thorn

I’ve loved Sarah’s work from the beginning. She’s a brave writer, shifting tone and subject matter, always surprising. Above all, she’s a master of her craft. In every book she makes the words sing – Ann Cleeves, author of The Raging StormNail-biting, heart-wrenching stuff. Black Thorn has the atmosphere and drama of a modern-day du Maurier novel. Sarah Hilary’s uncanny ability to make readers not just see through her characters’ eyes but feel through their skin in unparalleled – Erin Kelly, author of He Said/ She SaidA creepy and atmospheric tale, beautifully and sensitively written * The Guardian *A mesmerizing story of family and community, secrets and lies. Psychologically rich and captivatingly told, Sarah Hilary’s Black Thorn sweeps you into its dark embrace from the start and holds you there until its final revelations – Megan Abbott, author of Beware the WomanExudes a tightly-controlled menace that ratchets up to full-blown claustrophobia as the pages turn. A book that oozes under your skin from the opening sentence – Vaseem Khan, author of Death of a Lesser GodMulti-layered, unexpected, and carrying a strong emotional punch, Black Thorn is refreshingly different. Sarah Hilary is an exceptionally gifted writer – Sharon Bolton, author of The PactBrilliant. Taking a really deep dive into some dark spaces that Sarah brings vividly to life, it’s wonderful and unlike anything else I’ve read lately – Mick Herron, author of Slow HorsesAn absolute master of her craft. Beautiful writing. This book is fascinating on so many levels. Not your run-of-the-mill thriller. A haunting captivating book – Imran Mahmood, author of Finding SophieA stunning, haunting and often moving novel. I loved it – Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork GirlSarah Hilary is a writer with all the gifts: character and psychology, language and one-more-chapter suspense. In twisting, turning, ever-changing Black Thorn, she shows us how very easily the wrong people can turn paradise into hell on earth – Lucie Whitehouse, author of Keep You CloseSarah Hilary has done it again with this tale of toxicity in all its forms. Excellent writing and tight plotting on top of shifting sands make Black Thorn an unforgettable read with the most sympathetic protagonist I’ve read in years – Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally DiamondAn extraordinary book. Beautifully written, densely plotted, with an uncanny insight into the best and worst of family relationships – Emma Flint, author of Other WomenI was blown away by the writing and the world and the sensitivity with which the characters are drawn … you literally absorb it. Sarah Hilary just gets better and better – Sabine DurrantBlack Thorn finds Sarah Hilary right back at the top of her game, melding a darkly disturbing sense of place with some pinpoint-accurate characterisation and a plot that keeps you guessing, and guessing again. At its epicentre is the wonderful Agnes, one of my favourite crime fiction creations since MW Craven‘s Tilly Bradshaw. This one’s a real cracker * Crime Fiction Lover *

Sarah Hilary’s debut novel, Someone Else’s Skin, won the 2015 Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and was a World Book Night selection. Someone Else’s Skin was also The Observer’s Book of the Month and a Richard and Judy Book Club bestseller, and it has been published worldwide. No Other Darkness, the second in the series, was shortlisted for a Barry Award in the US. Her DI Marnie Rome series continues with Tastes Like Fear, Quieter Than Killing, Come and Find Me, and Never Be Broken. Black Thorn is her second standalone novel, following Fragile.

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